Clean slate for Victory skipper

Troubled by a groin injury that kept him out of the latter part of 2011-12, Leijer looked for much of the off-season as if he might lose his battle for fitness and miss the kick-off to the new campaign in the derby against Melbourne Heart.

But Victory's centre-back says he is fit and energised after such a long layoff, and buoyed by the fact that he has such a high-quality new central defensive partner in Mark Milligan, an Olyroo contemporary.

''Having Millsy here has been massive for me,'' Leijer said of the defender whom he lined up alongside as Australia successfully battled to reach the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Fred of the Melbourne Heart and Adrian Leijer of the Melbourne Victory. Photo: Getty Images

''We have played a lot of football together and we know each other's game very well. I love having him there next to me because you know what he's going to do, you know what he's capable of. And off the pitch, from a leadership role, he's been a huge help to me and the group.''

Leijer's personal travails in his first season as Victory skipper mirrored the problems of the club. It never really got into gear and the arrival of Harry Kewell, while a massive PR coup, seemed to unsettle several parts of the club.

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The former Socceroo has long since departed and is still seeking new employers. Victory, says Leijer, has moved on and tackles a new season under a new coach and with several fresh faces in confident mood.

''It was a disappointing year last year. We all know and acknowledge that. The players who are still here from last year want to change things.

''A lot of those guys have had success and know what its like to enjoy that success, so there's been a definite change.

''Ange [Postecoglou] has brought in his own ways and people, and that's been exciting and fresh.''

But that doesn't mean Victory will simply be Brisbane Roar in navy blue, although Leijer admits that was the first idea the players had when they heard Postecoglou was coach.

''When he came in we all thought that might be the case, but he has got a different plan, different ideas and I think that's a sign of how good a coach he is. He doesn't have just one way of going about things. He likes an attacking game, and hopefully people will be convinced by the sort of football we want to play when they see us on Friday night.

''Ange has pushed the boys very hard, he's got high expectations and he challenges us every day. From that point of view we are enjoying it, responding well, and round one is the platform for us to build on the rest of the season.

''It does help to have a coach who is successful, but Ange has to an aura about him. When he walks in the changing rooms you can see the respect the boys have for him, and that's been important and good for the group.

''He had great results in Brisbane and we want to achieve that down here - but we want to be Melbourne Victory, not Brisbane Roar.''

The Victory boss yesterday told a huge crowd at the club's pre-season Victory in Business lunch that the team was sharp and raring to go, all preparations now concluded.

''I said to them at training this morning that they were absolutely ready to go, if the game was played today they would be ready.''

Postecoglou knows that the eyes of the Australian soccer world will be on him tomorrow night as he is by some margin the highest-profile coach in the league after his back-to-back championships with Roar. But he knows that goes with the turf if you are the coach of the biggest, best-supported club.

''The main attraction for coming to Melbourne Victory for me was that it was a passionate club with a profile and a massive supporter network,'' he said.

''There should always be high expectations for this club. We should always be looking for success. We want to play a brand of football that excites our fans. They are the oxygen of the club.''